What Role Marlins Prospect Kemp Alderman Would Play if He’s Actually Called Up
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Kemp Alderman is one of the Miami Marlins' top prospects who isn't getting as much attention.
Alderman can still make an impact on this team in the future. There's a lot of buzz about Thomas White, Robby Snelling, and Joe Mack, with those three guys expected to debut sometime in 2026. Alderman is in that same mix.
Kemp Alderman's Role in 2026
The 23-year-old outfielder is the same age as Mack, and he's one of the best power hitters from the 2023 draft class. Miami selected him in the second round of the draft. The Marlins signed Alderman for a $1.4 million deal.
Due to the outfield position being loaded, it's going to be a challenge for Alderman to get playing time anytime soon in the big leagues. However, his best chance to get the call is if Kyle Stowers, Jakob Marsee, or even Owen Caissie unfortunately miss many games due to injury. The Marlins would then consider Alderman to play right field. The future is uncertain.
In the meantime, Alderman will continue his journey in the minors. In 11 games at spring training, he struck out seven times and batted .167 with just one home run and one RBI. Right now, he needs the time to develop in the minor leagues. It's just not his time to shine at the big-league level yet.
When he started his professional career, it didn't go smoothly for him at the plate. Everything started to click for him during his time at the Arizona Fall League. Alderman slashed .306/.375/1/208 OPS with six home runs, eight RBIs in nine games.
Alderman kept his same momentum during the 2025 season. Alderman has done a solid job with secondary pitches. In 82 plate appearances at Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Alderman slashed .303/.341/1.013 OPS in 82 plate appearances in 21 games.
There are many ways the Marlins can go about it with Alderman. Every team needs someone to give them energy or bring some pop off the bench. In any given regular season, anything can happen. There's a reason why unpredictability exists, and depth matters.
The Marlins have a lot of depth in the outfield. Manager Clayton McCullough is fortunate to have multiple options to play with, and he's a smart manager. No doubt, he'll make the best decision for the organization.
Alderman still needs to work on plate discipline. His numbers did slim down when he played at Pensacola. He struck out 102 times in 111 games, but also collected 15 home runs. There are some pros and cons to his game. Alderman may not be the most athletic outfielder, but he has power and a strong arm.
We will definitely see him making his debut at some point in the future. Alderman needs to be the hitter he was in the Arizona Fall League and Triple-A, but with consistency.
After graduating from City College of New York in 2014, Miguel created his own blog. Since 2021, he has written for FanSided, where he covered the Toronto Blue Jays, College Football and Utah Mammoth hockey team. He also wrote for Miami Heat on SI and Cleveland Sports Talk. Miguel is the creator and host of his podcast, Baseball Heat Podcast with Mike.